History
The mediaeval customs house of the city of Oporto started being built around 1354 under King Afonso IV in the context of disputes between the king and the Bishop of Oporto. The king's intention was to charge taxes for goods carried by ships navigating the Douro river, thereby reducing the power of the bishop. The new Royal Customs House was built near the river (Ribeira) and included a mint, storage house and living quarters for the employees. Archaeological excavations revealed that the building was large and had two high towers linked by a courtyard. Starting in the 15th century, the customs house has undergone several expansions and remodellings that have greatly altered its original structure.
The most important remodelling occurred in 1677 under King Peter II, when the customs house was virtually rebuilt. The inner courtyard was kept, but the towers were greatly reduced in height, while the front building, facing the street, gained two extra storeys, with a large staircase leading to the living quarters in the second floor. The front building incorporated the functions of the towers. The storage houses were greatly enlarged. This 17th-century remodelling is celebrated on a commemorative plate in the courtyard dated from 1677.
In the second half of the 19th century a new customs house was built by the river in the Miragaia neighbourhood, and the old customs house ceased its activities. The façade was again modified between the 19th and the 20th centuries, with the addition of a new storey. A plate commemorating Prince Henry's 500th birth anniversary was inaugurated on the façade in 1894. In the mid-20th century the house was restored by the state.
In the 1990s the whole complex was the subject of archaeological surveys that greatly helped understand the evolution of the building. Besides the mediaeval findings, the archaeologists found the vestiges of a large Roman building, including remains of mosaic pavement that can now the seen inside. The Casa do Infante now houses an exhibition about the history of Oporto (including a scale model of the city in the Middle Ages) as well as the Municipal Archive.
Read more about this topic: Casa Do Infante
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